Method of producing a decorative glass panel

ABSTRACT

A decorative glass panel, and a method of production thereof, is provided for a door or window, and comprises a flat glass panel having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a thickness. Using a computer controlled router, a prescribed pattern is formed in at least the outer surface of the flat glass panel, the prescribed pattern including at least one substantially V-shaped groove. The pattern is transferred to a resin plotter that applies an air-curable resin within each substantially V-shaped groove according to a prescribed tip speed, pumping speed and resin viscosity. Thereafter, the resin is cured.

PRIORITY

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 12/838,708,filed Jul. 19, 2010.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to decorative glass panels, and, moreparticularly, to the production of glass window and door panels havingdecorative patterns of intersecting grooves formed in at least onesurface, and a decorative material, such as a resin, applied thereinforming the decorative patterns.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, decorative glass has increased in popularity in bothcommercial and residential usage. It is now commonplace for decorativeglass sheets to be used in buildings and homes in various types of doorssuch as entry, storm, and patio doors, as well as for exterior windowssuch as garden bath windows. Decorative glass also has becomeincreasingly popular for interior glass doors, such as shower doors andFrench doors, as well as in furniture and architectural applications. Asthe scope and popularity of usage has grown, so has the demand for moreaffordable decorative glass products that simulate expensive materialsand features. Accordingly, cost effective methods for producingaffordable high quality simulated decorative glass products have beensought.

The prior art discloses methods of forming patterns or lettering onmaterials other than paper, such as glass or plastic, by screenprinting, stenciling, or painting. The most popular of these methods hasbeen screen printing. There is also known a method of applying adecorative pattern on a glass panel for a window or door by applying acontinuous bead of durable resin onto the planar surface of the windowor door panel. The simulated decorative appearance, however, is limitedby the lack of surface details, such as varying contours in the glass.This could otherwise enhance the appearance of the decorative glasssheet, or alternatively, simulate a decorative glass window or doorcomprising multiple pieces of beveled glass that are joined by adecorative material, simulating the came that was used in window anddoor constructions in earlier eras.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a glass panel having decorativepatterns formed on at least one surface, which addresses theshortcomings described above. Accordingly, one aspect of the presentinvention is directed to a decorative glass panel for a door or window,comprising a flat glass panel having an inner surface, and outersurface, and a prescribed thickness. The decorative glass paneldescribed herein may be selected for either interior or exteriorapplications, as the materials, i.e., the glass and decorative resinmaterial applied thereto, have been found to be suitable for exposure toharsh outdoor elements The glass panels so selected may be annealed,strengthened, safety-tempered, laminated, or safety-backed. A prescribedpattern is formed in at least one of the inner or outer surfaces of theglass panel by diamond-cutting one or more substantially V-shapedgrooves into the surface of the glass panel. In one exemplaryembodiment, the V-shaped grooves have a width, as measured across thesurface of the glass panel, of about 14 mm, and a depth, as measureddownwardly from the surface of the glass panel of about 1 mm.Optionally, once the decorative pattern has been cut into the surface ofthe glass panel, the V-shaped grooves are polished to provide a moreaesthetic, finished appearance.

A continuous bead of an air-curable acrylic resin is applied in theV-shaped grooves throughout the prescribed pattern. One such air-curableresin is formed by mixing a resin such as R.L. ACRY 14 with a resinhardener such as R.L.H. ACRY 15, manufactured by Creative Resins ofKent, England. To achieve the desired appearance, the bead ofair-curable acrylic resin is applied to a width of about 5 mm, asmeasured horizontally, and has a depth equal to or greater than thedepth of the V-shaped grooves. A computer-driven plotter is used toapply the bead of air-curable acrylic resin within the grooves formingthe pattern, on a plotter table. One suitable computer-driven plotter isan X-Y plotter manufactured by Precix Advanced Cutting Technologies,Inc., Langley, British Columbia, Canada. The glass panel will then havethe appearance of individual glass sections that are connected by leadcame.

A second aspect of the present invention is to provide a decorativewindow or door consisting of a peripheral support frame and a glasspanel secured and supported by that frame. Depending upon theapplication chosen, the peripheral support frame desirably has a pair ofopposed spaced-apart side pieces and a pair of opposed spaced-apart endpieces. The frame may be formed in any number of ways using a variety ofmaterials to support the glass panel including, for example,conventional wooden frames wherein the glass panel is placed within anopening formed in the frame and thereafter secured with peripheralmoulding, or the like. The decorative glass panel selected for thewindow or door would be formed as described above.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method formaking a decorative glass panel, simulating individual glass panelsconnected by lead came, or other decorative patterns. As describedabove, a prescribed pattern is formed in at least one of the inner orouter surfaces of the glass panel by diamond-cutting one or moresubstantially V-shaped grooves into the surface of the glass panel. Inthe exemplary embodiment described above, the V-shaped grooves have awidth, as measured across the surface of the glass panel, of about 14mm, and a depth, as measured downwardly from the surface of the glasspanel of about 1 mm. Again, optionally, once the decorative pattern hasbeen cut into the surface of the glass panel, the V-shaped grooves arepolished to provide a more aesthetic, finished appearance. Thecomputer-driven plotter then applies the bead of air-curable acrylicresin within the substantially V-shaped grooves of the formed decorativepattern. Once the resin has been applied, the resin is allowed toair-cure for 24 to 48 hours at an ambient temperature of approximately72° F. Alternatively, higher ambient temperatures or convection heatingwill cure the resin at an accelerated rate, until the resin has cured toa sufficient hardness.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art after a reading of the following description ofan exemplary embodiment, when considered with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a decorative glass panel with adecorative pattern formed therein according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic, cross sectional view of the decorative glasspanel taken along Line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of a decorative window or door according tothe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings in general and to FIG. 1, in particular,it will be understood that the illustrations are for the purpose ofdescribing an exemplary embodiment of the invention and are not intendedto limit the invention thereto. As seen in FIG. 1, one aspect of thepresent invention is directed to a decorative glass panel, generallydesignated 100, comprising a glass panel 110 with a decorative pattern120 formed therein. The ornamental decorative pattern 120 is exemplaryonly, and not limiting to the number of possible ornamental decorativepatterns which may be formed on the glass sheet of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the glass panel 110 has an outer surface 112 and aninner surface 116. A glass panel 110 of appropriate type and size ischosen for the particular application. Glass panels may be annealed,strengthened, safety-tempered, laminated, or safety-backed. In theexemplary embodiment described herein, the glass panel 110 ismonolithic; i.e., a single sheet.

A selected decorative pattern 120 is formed in at least the outersurface 112 of the glass panel 110. When a decorative pattern is alsoformed on the inner surface of the glass panel 110, it will beappreciated that the decorative pattern on the inside will coincideprecisely with the decorative pattern 120 on the outside. The pattern120 comprises at least one substantially V-shaped groove 122 and may becontinuous, such as a circular or oval pattern and/or may comprise aplurality of V-shaped grooves 122 forming straight line segments, whichmay or may not intersect to form the overall pattern 120. As shown inFIG. 1, the decorative pattern 120 comprises a plurality of intersectingstraight line segments, including for example, 122 a-d. The V-shapedgrooves are diamond-cut with a fine diamond head, such as a CNC(computer numerically controlled) Stone/Glass Router, Model CompactGroove, available from Intermac America, of Black Mountain, N.C. Forstructural, functional, and aesthetic considerations, the inventors havefound that the V-shaped groove(s) 122 should be formed with a width “w,”as shown in FIG. 2, of between about 9.0 mm and 19.5 mm, as measuredacross the surface 112 of the glass panel 110. In one exemplaryembodiment, the width, w, is about 14 mm. As will be described ingreater detail below, it also has been found that the V-shaped grooves122 should have a depth “d” of between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm, as measuredvertically downwardly from the surface of the glass in which the pattern120 is formed. In one exemplary embodiment, the depth, d, is about 1 mm.

Optionally, following formation of the decorative pattern 120, theV-shaped grooves 122 forming the decorative pattern 120 may be polishedto provide a more finished and aesthetic appearance, since the groovesurfaces may appear frosted following the diamond-cutting. This may beaccomplished by employing a softer wheel on the CNC Stone/Glass Router,such as a “red clay” wheel, to polish the grooves. Such a softer wheelcreates friction and heat, polishing the grooves to a clearer finish.

Following formation of the decorative pattern 120, and the optionalpolishing, as desired, one or more air-curable resin beads 130 areapplied within the substantially V-shaped grooves. Heretofore, theformation of grooves in a glass panel and the subsequent application ofa resin or other material within the grooves has not been consideredfeasible for several reasons. First, the steps of diamond cutting thegrooves 122, followed by application of the air-curable resin beads 130,must be performed on two separate machines, supplied by two differentmanufacturers, with separate programs. Because the dimensions of thedecorative pattern 120 and grooves 122 are so minute and precise, it wasnot believed that one could acceptably apply any material within thegrooves i.e., could not replicate the precise pattern 120 formed onanother machine. For example, a variability in application of the resinof even 1 mm in any direction within the pattern 120 would provide awavy and unacceptable product. Second, the air-curable resin is appliedwith a plotter, as described below. Applying the resin within a groove122 necessitates movement of the applicator tip above the surface 112 ofthe glass panel 110; otherwise, movement of the applicator tip withinthe grooves 112, and lower than the surface of the glass, would beimpeded by the pattern of the grooves, or the applicator tip couldpotentially drag against the surface 112 of the glass panel, outside ofthe pattern 120, yielding an unacceptable result. As described ingreater detail below, the most efficient movement of the applicator tip,where the decorative pattern comprises a plurality of straight linesegments, is not necessarily movement that is limited, during the entireapplication step, to travel exclusively within the grooves 122 formingthe decorative pattern 120.

To solve both of these problems, the inventors found that severalfactors had to be considered and overcome. First, the inventors found amethod, as described in greater detail below, to translate and transferthe decorative pattern 120 data, including the precise locations andorientations of the grooves 122 from the pattern forming machine, i.e.,the Intermac, to the air-curable resin plotter program. Second, theinventors found that there is a relationship between the horizontalspeed of the resin applicator tip, the pumping speed of the applicatorunit, the height of the tip above the surfaces onto which theair-curable resin is to be deposited, and the viscosity of theair-curable resin at the time of application. It has now been found thatacceptable results are obtained with a horizontal applicator tip speedof between about 280 and 320 mm per minute, a pumping speed of betweenabout 60 and 80 ml per minute, a tip height above the horizontal glasssurface (for a 1 mm deep groove) of between about 1.5 and 5.0 mm, and aresin viscosity of between about 11,000 and 16,000 centipoise, whenmeasured with a conventional viscometer at an ambient room temperatureof about 72 degrees Fahrenheit. In one exemplary embodiment, thehorizontal applicator tip speed was about 300 mm per minute, the pumpingspeed was about 75 ml per minute, the tip height above the glass (for a1 mm deep groove) was about 2 mm, and the resin viscosity was about14,000 centipoise.

A continuous bead, or a plurality of segments formed from beads, of anair-curable acrylic resin is applied within the V-shaped groovesthroughout the prescribed pattern. One such air-curable resin is formedby mixing a resin such as R.L. ACRY 14 with a resin hardener such asR.L.H. ACRY 15, manufactured by Creative Resins of Kent, England. Acomputer-driven plotter is used to apply the bead of air-curable acrylicresin in a desired pattern on a plotter table. One suitablecomputer-driven plotter is an X-Y plotter manufactured by PrecixAdvanced Cutting Technologies, Inc., Langley, British Columbia, Canada.As shown in FIG. 2, the bead of air-curable resin is applied in thesubstantially V-shaped grooves so that the resin bead does not extendupwardly as far as the surface 112 of the glass panel 110. The inventorshave found that a bead having a width, as measured horizontally acrossthe V-shaped groove, of between about 4.5 mm and 5.5 mm, provides asuitable and aesthetically pleasing appearance for a V-shaped groovedimensioned as described herein. In one exemplary embodiment, a beadwidth of about 5 mm provided optimum results when applied in theV-shaped grooves. Further, the inventors have found that a bead depthequal to or greater than the depth of the V-shaped groove, or betweenabout 0.5 and 2.0 mm, provides a suitable and aesthetically pleasingappearance. In one exemplary embodiment, the bead has a depth of 1.0 mm.

As discussed in greater detail below, where the decorative pattern 120comprises multiple line segments 122 a-d, the initial location in thedecorative pattern 120 where application/plotting of the resin beadbegins must be selected so that that location intersects another linesegment. Because the resin begins pumping out of the applicator tip atthat point, a “ball” of resin is usually deposited at that point becausethe plotter has not yet begun moving; thus, when the initial pointsubsequently intersects with another line segment, the “ball” that isinitially formed is subsumed when the other line segment is applied,therefore evening out the “ball” so that it does not create anunacceptable surface imperfection. As used herein, the term “subsumed”is intended to mean that any excess uncured resin applied will evenitself out when it intersects with adjacently applied uncured resin.

Once the resin has been applied, it is allowed to air-cure for between24 and 48 hours at an ambient temperature of approximately 72 degreesFahrenheit. Alternatively, higher ambient temperatures or convectionheating will cure the resin at an accelerated rate. Regardless ofconditions, the resin must be cured to a sufficient hardness. Adurometer, an instrument consisting of a flat or blunt indenter point,that is applied under pressure, is used to measure the hardness of thecured resin. Specifically, when a durometer with a 1.0 mm flat pointneedle is compressed against the resin for 3 seconds, creating a forceof 10 Newtons at the needle point, a reading of 65 percent or above on a0 to 100 percent scale indicates that the resin is sufficiently cured.

Referring now to FIG. 3, another aspect of the present invention is adecorative window or door, shown generally as 200, comprising aperipheral support frame 240 securing and supporting the decorativeglass pane 100. The peripheral support frame 240 has a pair of opposedspaced apart side pieces 242 and a pair of opposed spaced apart endpieces 244, and may be formed in any number of ways and using a varietyof materials to support the decorative glass panel 100, including, forexample, conventional wooden frames wherein the decorative glass panel100 is placed within an opening formed in the frame and thereaftersecured with moulding or the like.

As described above, the steps of diamond cutting the grooves 122 and theapplication of the air-curable resin beads 130 must be performed on twoseparate machines, supplied by two different manufacturers, having theirown programming The inventors have found, however, that the Intermacsoftware can be made to provide a data output, which may be exportedinto a commercially available software program such as CorelDRAW®,Version 13, available from Corel Corporation. The output, or export,from Intermac is in the form of a .DXF, or AutoCAD® file. The .DXF fileextension denotes a data format, which was developed by Autodesk, Inc.for use with computer-aided design (CAD) vector image files. These aresimilar to the .DWG format, but are more compatible with other programswhich are ASCII (text) based. Also, the .DXF format was developed as auniversal format so that AutoCAD® documents could be more easily openedby other programs. The .DXF data files are exported into CorelDRAW®,which in turn converts them into a .PLT data format. The .PLT formatpermits files originally created using AutoCAD® to be translated forprinting using the X-Y plotter described above. This format also printsimages using lines instead of dots, based on the Hewlett-PackardGraphics Language (HPGL). The .PLT data files from CorelDRAW® are lastlyexported to the Creative Resins Studio Program, provided by CreativeResins International in Kent, United Kingdom. The Creative Resins Studiosoftware then converts the data files into .DWG plotting commands forthe X-Y plotter to apply air-curable resin along the centerline of thegrooves 122 forming the entire decorative pattern 120. Both the .DXF and.PLT formats employ a centerline program, which is used for creatingboth the substantially V-shaped grooves forming the decorative patternand the application of the air-curable resin so that the grooves andresin application coincide precisely. Most importantly, this ensuresthat the resin is precisely applied along the centerline of eachsubstantially V-shaped groove.

Turning again to FIG. 1, the exemplary decorative pattern 120 showncomprises a plurality of straight line segments of various lengths.Those in the art will appreciate that the application of an air-curableresin by an X-Y plotter, as described above, may be a time consumingprocess for each decorative glass panel 100 so formed since it requiresmultiple movements and starts/stops of the plotter applicator. While thecurrent plotter software is not programmed for calculating the mostefficient plotting route for the plotter, for each decorative glasspattern 120, the inventors manually calculate the most time-effectiveapplicator route and input that lastly into the program for the X-Yplotter. A part of this calculation includes the determination ofstarting points during movement of the plotter, so that the “balls”described above will be minimized or eliminated.

Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled inthe art upon a reading of the foregoing description. It should beunderstood that all such modifications and improvements have beendeleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but areproperly within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A method of forming a decorative glass panel with a patternof V-shaped grooves, comprising: (a) utilizing a computer-controlledrouter to form a prescribed pattern in at least one of an outer andinner surface of a flat glass panel, the prescribed pattern comprisingat least one substantially V-shaped groove, each groove having a widthof between 9.0 mm and 19.5 mm and a depth of between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm;(b) translating and transferring the prescribed pattern to a resinplotter program; (c) applying an air-curable resin bead in the at leastone substantially V-shaped groove with a computer-driven plotter formingthe prescribed pattern, utilizing a tip speed of between 280 and 320 mmper minute, a pumping speed between 60 and 80 ml per minute, a tipheight above the bottom of the groove of between 1.5 and 5.0 mm, and aresin viscosity between 11,000 and 16,000 centipoise when measured at anambient room temperature of about 72 degrees Fahrenheit; and (c) curingthe air-curable resin.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at leastone substantially V-shaped groove is formed with a diamond-cuttingwheel.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of polishingthe at least one substantially V-shaped groove with a softer wheelbefore applying the air-curable resin.
 4. The method of claim 3 whereinthe softer wheel is a red clay wheel.
 5. The method of claim 4 whereinthe polishing step polishes the at least one substantially V-shapedgroove to a clear finish.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the V-shapedgroove has a width of about 14 mm.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein theV-shaped groove has a depth of about 1 mm.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein the air-curable resin is a continuous bead in the at least onesubstantially V-shaped groove and has a width within the groove ofbetween about 4.5 mm and 5.5 mm.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein thewidth of the air-curable resin bead applied in the at least onesubstantially V-shaped groove has a width of about 5 mm.
 10. The methodof claim 1, wherein the air-curable resin comprises a resin hardener.11. The method of claim 1, wherein the air-curable resin is applied withan X-Y plotter.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the X-Y plotter isprogrammed to apply the air-curable resin across intersecting V-shapedgrooves such that intersecting beads of resin are applied before theair-cured resin cures, thereby forming an even resin bead depth.